Shrovetide games and contests

Shrovetide is an ancient folk festival celebrated at the end of winter. On this day, for a long time, it has been customary to arrange folk festivals with songs, dances and various competitions. To make the holiday fun and memorable for a long time, you need to start preparing for it in advance.

During the Maslenitsa celebration, people did not sit at home, because this was considered a bad sign. Therefore, almost all games and competitions were held on the street.

Street games turn out to be more fun if a large company gathers for a holiday. There is a wide variety of activities that both children and adults will love.

• Sledging. Previously, on Shrovetide, it was customary to visit all their relatives. In addition, there was a custom to ride in sledges clockwise around the village. It was believed that in this way people help the sun to move in a circle, thus bringing the beginning of winter closer. In the modern world, sledding in a large company can be great fun. Especially if all participants in the game pre-dress up in original themed costumes. This kind of entertainment is great for people of all ages.

• "Wall to wall". Another Shrovetide tradition is ritual fights. During the holidays, the guys measured their strength in order to disfigure a big harvest next year. Over time, this tradition has changed slightly. Ritual fights turned into a game. At first, everyone is divided into two teams and face each other.The task of each team is to break through the defense of the other. This should be done without tearing your hands.
• "Horse fight". This entertainment is also suitable for a large company. All participants are divided into two teams. After that, they are split in pairs. One person acts as a horse, the second as a rider, sitting on the shoulders of the first. When the couples are ready, you can start the fight. In the process, representatives of one team try to "knock out of the saddle" opponents.
• "Throwing a felt boot". The essence of this entertainment is very simple. All participants in the game take turns throwing their boots. The winner is the one who manages to throw it to the farthest distance. As a gift, you can give him a felt boot with a funny design or candy inside.

In cold snowy weather, these games will be great fun.

It is possible to create an interesting game program even if it is not possible to arrange walks on the street. Time-tested games can replace street entertainment.

• Running in bags. To conduct this game, all participants must be divided into two teams. When the leader gives the command, two people start jumping in bags to a certain mark and back. When the first participant goes all the way, he must give his bag to the next one. The winner is the team that manages to complete the task faster.

• Tug of war. Traditionally, this game is played outside. But if desired, this can be done in the room. It is played by a large company, which is divided into two teams. The task of each of them is to pull the rope to their side.

Various word games can also be held at home. The most popular option is various quizzes. They are different. All that is needed for its organization is to select the appropriate questions about Maslenitsa and Russian folk traditions. All guests will be happy to take part in an interesting thematic quiz.

Maslenitsa fun is popular not only for adults and the elderly, but also for children. Games for toddlers are usually selected to be mobile, so that they do not get bored.

Games for toddlers should be accompanied by themed music or funny songs from cartoons. The list of entertainment for toddlers is quite large.

• "Snow shooting range". This street entertainment will appeal to active children. To carry it out in the yard, you need to draw target circles on the boards or boards. It is worth preparing in advance and snowballs for throwing. The task of the participants is to hit the target. Those who succeed in this receive a treat as a prize.
• "Pan". The little ones will also like this game. To carry it out on the snow, you need to draw a large circle. It is he who is called the "frying pan". All players join hands and jump in a circle on one leg. The person who falls into the circle loses.
• "Sun". To conduct this interactive game, all participants must also be divided into two groups. On the wall, you need to fix two large sheets with suns without rays painted on them. Give the children yellow markers or finger paints. At the signal, representatives of the two teams run to their sheet and draw one ray on it. The first team to complete the drawing wins.
• "Man's buff on the spot." This game can be played both outdoors and indoors. One driver must be chosen among all the participants. He is blindfolded with a ribbon. After that, he spins around himself several times. All participants at this time quietly disperse around the room or yard and freeze in different corners. Next, the driver tries to find players. His task is not only to catch friends, but also to catch who exactly is the player's prey.
• "King of the Hill". This is one of the most popular Shrovetide entertainment. Its meaning lies in the fact that one of the children climbs onto a snow slide and declares himself king. All the other children are trying to throw him off and take the throne. The winner is the one who succeeds.

When organizing a holiday for older children, you can come up with a winter-themed quest for them or arrange a competition for the most beautiful outfit. Different images are chosen for celebrating Maslenitsa. The most popular are Parsley and Shrovetide grandfather. But children can show imagination and come up with something of their own. If the company has time to prepare for the holiday, you can come up with a small show in order to play it out in front of family and friends. You can "revive" any scene from a cartoon or a fairy tale.

During the celebration of Shrovetide, adults can participate in both outdoor games and more relaxed ones. Particular attention should be paid to table entertainment. Since the main dish associated with this winter holiday is pancakes, most of the contests are associated with this delicacy. Part of the entertainment program can be a competition for:

• guessing the filling while blindfolded;
• cooking unusual pancakes;
• high-speed eating.

The company will also like the competition called "Feed the Matryoshka". It involves two teams of four people. To carry it out, you need to make two large nesting dolls from thick cardboard. A small pouch should be tied next to the painted mouth. At a distance of several meters from the nesting dolls, you need to put tables, and put wooden spoons and containers with peas on them. The task of the members of each team is to collect peas from their bowl and carry them directly to the matryoshka, then pouring them into a bag. The winners are those who manage to feed the matryoshka better. That is, pour more peas into the bag. A properly selected competition program will not let the company get bored.

Traditional Maslenitsa festivities are not complete without songs, dances and music competitions.

• "Panicle". To organize this simple and fun game, you need to prepare an originally decorated broom or a broom decorated with ribbons in advance. All players sit down or stand in a row. They begin to pass each other a whisk to the music. At some point, the music stops. A person who has a whisk in his hands must sing a ditty or ask the rest of the game a riddle about Shrovetide.

• "Stream". This round dance game was very popular in the past. Any number of people can participate in it. All of them must be divided into pairs and stand one after the other. Participants in the game raise their arms above their heads, forming an arch. A person who did not get a pair goes along this corridor and chooses a "victim" for himself. He takes her hand, and together they walk to the end of the stream. The new pair gets up at the beginning of the corridor, and the person who is left alone does the same as the first player. To do everything better with music. Previously, this game was very popular among young people, because it made it possible to touch a loved one and be with him for a while.

• "Carousel". Various round dance games are also popular on winter holidays. To carry it out, you will need to make a bright pole decorated with colored paper and tie ribbons to it. The pole is fixed in the snow. Each of the company holds on to one of the ribbons with his hands. All participants move in a circle to the music. After the melody changes, the players change the direction of movement.

• "Round dance". All participants in this game stand in one row and join hands, forming a chain. At one end is the leader. As soon as the music starts, he starts running with a change of direction. All other participants in the game must follow him without opening their hands. Anyone who cannot keep up with the pace leaves the game. This game is suitable for both schoolchildren and students.

A simple competition for the best dance will also be good fun. To carry it out, you need to pick up folk dance melodies and learn at least a few interesting movements.

In the old days, a large number of various interesting rituals were also held on Shrovetide. The celebration lasted for a whole week. Each of the days had a special meaning.

On the first day of Shrovetide, people usually rolled ice slides and cooked a large number of pancakes. They were served with butter, sour cream, caviar, jam and other delicious fillings.

Young and unmarried beauties performed fortune-telling on pancakes. The girls invited the guys they liked to the table and offered them different types of treats. If a young man chose pancakes with caviar, it was believed that he was very reliable, but at the same time harsh. If the chosen one loved pancakes with fish, he was considered a real romantic, with cottage cheese - a good host and husband. Sugar was sprinkled with men who love children.

On Monday, young married girls used to visit their parents and bake pancakes with them. In the evening, their father-in-law joined them. Together they ate food, finished meat dishes in preparation for fasting, and planned the festive week.

On Tuesday, it was customary to hold a bride show. Single guys looked closely at the girls and tried to find a suitable pair for themselves. Senior comrades helped them in this. In addition, on this day, various performances were staged with the participation of bright characters. The most popular of them are Shrovetide Grandfather and Parsley. The mummers walked in masks through the streets, sang songs and ditties.

On Wednesdays, a large number of different delicacies were always served at the table.

On this day, the sons-in-law went to visit their mother-in-law. She tried to feed him delicious pancakes, cajoling in this way. This was done so that during the next year the son-in-law would treat his wife well.

On this day, young people attended fairs and booths. The companies rode down the mountains in beautiful outfits. Particular attention was paid on Wednesday to couples who managed to get married after baptism. They rode in their wedding dresses on beautiful sleighs, visiting all those who were at their wedding.

The fourth day of Shrovetide is also often called "roam". On this day, it was customary to spend time with a large company of friends and relatives, arranging various competitions and games. It was on Thursday that one could watch fistfights, participate in tug of war and other entertainments. Since pagan times, the custom has come to make a fire on this day. Couples jumped over it in turn in order to be convinced of the strength of their feelings.

On Friday, the mother-in-law came to her son-in-law with a return visit. He also had to feed her delicious pancakes, thus showing respect for the mother of his beloved wife.

Often a person was also invited to the gatherings, who played the role of a friend at the wedding. He helped his friend entertain his mother-in-law. At the end of the holiday, he was handed a gift for his efforts.

Saturday was also called a girl's evening. On this day, the young wife was to invite her husband's sister to visit. The girls prepared the best dishes in advance and treated them to each other. To feel more comfortable, the young wife could call friends and relatives for help. On this day, the girls sang, danced in circles, rolled downhills, wondered and played snowballs.

On the last day of Maslenitsa, it is customary to see off the cold season. Previously, a stuffed animal of Winter-Marena was created for this purpose.To do this, a large figure was made from bundles of straw, and then they dressed it up in bright skirts, sweaters and scarves. The scarecrow was carried throughout the village or city on a sleigh, and then burned at the stake. Previously, pancakes were also thrown into the fire.

Now the scarecrow does not have to be burned. But it can be used to organize an original photo shoot or show. All Shrovetide evenings in ancient times were considered holy. You couldn't work after sunset. Especially weaving and spinning. After all, such a fuss could disturb the souls of the departed, who came to rest in the house of the living.

A large number of candles were lit in houses in the evenings, and bonfires were made in the street. This was done to appease the spirits.

Now the massive Maslenitsa festivities are a great reason to have fun in good company and to remember, at least for a couple of days, about long-forgotten traditions. Therefore, do not miss the chance to organize an interesting holiday for yourself and your loved ones.